Chapter Three:
"Ladies, I expected better of you," Cid said with a drop of his head. Tessa watched as he rubbed his temples. Those two simple actions had made her sense of righteousness disappear and guilt filled their place.
"Sir," Selphie said urgently, not even bothering to look in Tessa's direction. "Sir, I was provoked."
Cid looked up at Selphie with a look of annoyance. "Miss Tilmitt, just because she was flirting with Mr. Kinneas is not enough provocation to justify your actions."
"Sir, I was not flirting with him," Tessa interjected, but Cid gave her a disconcerting look that shut her up. She folded her arms across her chest and glowered back at him, though.
Cid ignored her and turned back to Selphie. "Listen, you are a SeeD, and that means that you are still under my jurisdiction as long as you're still at this Garden. Don't even try, I've heard it too many times," he said with a hand raised to silence Selphie. "Just because you were in the party that defeated Ultimecia does not mean that you get special privileges. In fact, it actually puts you in the position of role model, which you should take seriously."
Selphie's face just grew red and Tessa would've smirked if she weren't so afraid of Cid reprimanding her even more harshly than he was bound to.
"Now, you're free to go, but you have to report to the Disciplinary Committee tomorrow at 700 hours," Cid said with a wave of his hand. Both women stood to leave, but Cid held his hand up again. "Antessence, I would like for you to stay here a while longer, we've yet to discuss your role."
Tessa sat back down and glared at Selphie as she walked by. Selphie mouthed "Antessence?" and gave a self-satisfying smile. Tessa was tempted to respond, but thought better and turned back to Cid. He waited until Selphie had closed the door to speak.
"Miss Matleo, I'm concerned. It's only your first day here at Balamb Garden, and you're already fighting. I hope this isn't a pattern of behaviour, but action still needs to be taken. However, I will give you the chance to explain, to me, how it started."
Tessa took a deep breath and thought: Maybe this man isn't an ass like all of the others. She cracked her knuckles and expelled her breath before speaking again.
"I was picking up my uniform and had an altercation with the man," she balled her hands into fists at this word, "over what were acceptable articles for female students. Miss Tilmitt had interjected herself into the argument. I was so angry that I asked for my uniform and left.
"On my way back to my dorm I found that the guy had given me what I had told him I didn't want. I was already mad and went back and threw it in his face," Cid's expression soured at this, but Tessa carried on. "I told him to fix my order and he refused, so I got in his face. That was when Miss Selphie attacked me. I swear I did not take the first swing."
Cid leaned back in his chair and began rubbing his temples again. Tessa started to wring her hands, which were sweaty, out of nervousness.
"What was the article?" Cid asked while still rubbing his temples.
"Hmm?" Tessa asked, clearly not understanding his question.
"I asked you what the article you and Mr. Kinneas were fighting over," he said with a stern tone in his voice. He continued to rub his temples and avoid looking at Tessa.
"Pants," Tessa said quickly. "He said that skirts were required for the women's uniforms, and I told him I wanted pants."
"Skirts are required," Cid said. He quit rubbing his temples and clasped his hands together, laying them on his desk. He looked at Tessa with a small smile on his face.
The bastard is just like the rest of them, the stupid man! Tessa thought angrily. "No, they aren't."
"They aren't?" Cid asked curiously. "Can you prove it?"
Tessa gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I can. The stated rules for being a student, being a SeeD, and being a faculty member at any Garden do not say women have to wear skirts. The rules for Balamb Garden have no such claim, nor do any addendums. I have researched it thoroughly and ask that you provide a passage proving my claims incorrect."
"Well, Muss Matleo, congratulations," Cid said with a short clap. "You've proven three things just now: one, that you take stands and stand by them; two, you clearly do your homework and know what you're saying before you say it; and three, you're not afraid of opposition. These are all good qualities for SeeDs."
"But I have to wear a skirt?" Tessa asked angrily through her clenched teeth.
"No, actually, I was testing you. Mr. Kinneas was mistaken, and you quite right. It just happens to be that you're the first one to challenge the status quo," Cid said with a twinkle in his eyes. "You have my permission to substitute pants in place of a skirt with your uniform, and to avoid any future confusion I'll add it to the list of rules on the Garden Network."
"Thank you, Sir," Tessa said excitedly, standing up. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Miss Matleo. I just hope that I don't have to see you under such conditions again," Cid said. "Now, tomorrow you're to report to the Disciplinary Committee at 700 hours."
"Why?" Tessa asked out of confusion.
"Because you were fighting and need to be punished," he said with a laugh. "In case you don't know, the Disciplinary headquarters is the gatehouse in front of this building."
"Yes, Sir," Tessa said with veiled contempt.
"Good, dismissed," Cid said with a wave of his hand. He turned away from Tessa and was clearly waiting for her to leave.
Stupid man, she thought as she stormed out of his office and into the reception area. The receptionist looked up, but Tessa ignored her. Stupid, stupid man, you will pay.
---
"What are you wearing?" Latasha asked with a worried face later that day when Tessa walked back into the dorm's common room. She appeared to have been hunched over a book, studying. "You're going to get in trouble."
"I got clearance for them," Tessa said smugly as plopped down on a chair and she fingered her uniform's pants. "I had to fight for them, and I mean that literally."
"I heard about you and Selphie Tilmitt," Latasha told Tessa. "I can't believe you would be stupid enough to hit on Irvine Kinneas. Everyone knows that they're a couple."
Tessa felt her face grow red with anger. "I was not hitting on him, he was hitting on me! Then his stupid bitch of a girlfriend attacked me!"
"Yeah right. Every new girl thinks they can have the pretty cowboy and can't take it when his girlfriend tells them to back off. I've seen it plenty of times; so don't act like Little Miss Innocent. Be honest," Latasha said with a roll of her eyes. She opened her book back up and started reading.
She was annoyed, but rather than pursue the subject she stomped to her room and slammed the door. She kicked over her still-packed suitcase and sat on the bed. She new that Balamb Garden was good for her future, but if her first day was any indication, she didn't know if she would be able to handle it.
Tessa yawned and stood up. She walked over to and picked up her suitcase. She brought it back to the bed and sat down with it on her lap. Tessa pooped open the clasp and lifted the lid.
Inside the suitcase were two pairs of pants, five flannel shirts, and a small notebook. She had left most of the stuff she had collected over her years at Lotia Garden with her friends Liana and Dave. Tessa had wanted a clean start, but it had been difficult for her to leave her prized possessions behind.
Tessa lifted the notebook out of the suitcase and set it on the bed. She ran her hands around the outside of the suitcase before closing it. Latching the clasps, she stood back up and walked over to the desk, where she set the suitcase.
There was a hard-backed, wooden chair pushed under the desk. Tessa pulled the chair out and sat down, draping herself over the wood as if she were empty clothes lain out to be worn. She closed her eyes and laid her head on the back of the chair.
What the hell am I doing here? She thought as she kicked one of the chair's legs. I haven't even officially started and everybody hates me already! I should just give up and go back to Lotia Garden.
Letting out a shuddering breath, Tessa felt her eyes growing wet. "No," she whispered, forcing her eyes open. The salty tears rolled down her face, but she paid them no heed. "I'm not one of those weak women. I won't let them beat me."
Again she stood up, but Tessa flicked the overhead light off, shrouding her room in darkness. She sat back down on her bed and reached for the window. She felt her hand wrap around the soft cotton of the curtain and she pulled it back, bathing the bed in the pale moonlight.
The notebook lay in the middle of a patch of light, its cover emblazoned with scribbled word and poor drawings of people in fighting poses. She grabbed the notebook and held it to her breast; her breath still jagged and tears still falling down her cheeks.
"Guys, I miss you," Tessa said as she opened the notebook. She flipped through pages of hastily written notes and poems until she found the one with an old, wrinkled photo taped onto it.
In the picture was Tessa, with her flaming red hair all frizzy and practically devouring her head. She was sitting on a large rock in the sun, and with her were a boy and girl, Liana and Dave.
Liana had short, black hair and it was streaked with light blue. Her deeply tanned skin contrasted with Tessa's own bizarrely pale skin. She was rather heavy, but no one ever said anything because she never spoke to anyone but Tessa and Dave, neither of whom cared.
David was wearing a brown and red striped sweater that was a few sizes too big, giving him the appearance of a young child. His blonde hair was by far the longest, reaching down to his shoulder blades. Tessa and Liana used to jokingly refer to him as Senor Senora whenever nobody else was around.
They weren't popular by any stretch of the word, but they were so happy that they didn't care. Tessa's old roommate, Eileen, would always ask why someone as good-looking as Tessa would hang out with a couple of losers, but Tessa would just shrug off the question.
She ran her fingers across the picture before closing the notebook. Tessa leaned over the edge of the bed and slid the notebook under it. Wiping her eyes and controlling her breathing, she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. Then, without even bothering to change out of her uniform, Tessa fell asleep.